COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY AWARDS GRANTS

Nonprofit organizations awarded more than $160,000 in second half of 2012

December 17, 2012 -- The Community Foundation of Howard County has awarded more than $160,000 in competitive grants during the second half of 2012. Combined with the first half total of $94,000, this brings the total of competitive grants awarded to $254,000 for the year.

"The nonprofit organizations in Howard County offer a wide variety of services that improve the quality of life for our residents," said Joe Dunbar, chairman of the Community Foundation of Howard County Grants Committee. "As a Foundation, the support we offer through our competitive grants process to these organizations is intended to produce a positive and sustainable change in our communities. Our donors have entrusted us with this responsibility, and we thank them for sharing their resources with us."

The following agencies and programs were awarded grants:

$2,500 to Blush through the Northern Indiana Community Foundation provided 250 scholarship admissions to low income and at-risk middle and high school students and helped to cover expenses for a one-day event. The event challenged youth to establish boundaries in regard to emotional, physical and spiritual health.

$10,000 to Bona Vista will be used to provide supported employment follow along services (SEFA) to individuals with mental illness, intellectual impairment and physical disabilities. With the expanded SEFA services, clients have more measurable success retaining their employment through encouragement and independence.

$1,495 to the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program of Howard County will be used to purchase marketing materials that will help educate, recruit, and train new volunteers. New marketing materials will increase the visibility of the CASA program and encourage new volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected Howard County youth who have been identified as children in need of services by the Howard Circuit court.

$5,000 to the Crossing will provide funding for the "Crossing Childcare" program. Grant money will be used to purchase items needed for the childcare program including age-appropriate books, games, toys, high chairs and cribs. Childcare services provide at-risk teen mothers and fathers with safe day care for their children while they attend classes, parenting education classes and vocational training. Parents are expected to volunteer in the day care that will help prepare them to become self-sufficient Howard County parents and adult residents.

$2,600 to the F.D. Reese Christian Academy will be used to purchase an interactive whiteboard and LCD projector. With the new technology, teachers will be able to create engaging, student-centered interactive lessons while students are allowed to manipulate their own learning process and receive instant teacher feedback.

$7,500 to Gilead House will be used to market (advertising, printing, publicity and event presentations) all of the services offered through the Gilead House and to promote the new GED and mentoring programs for men and women. In addition, grant money will help promote the new cleaning service offered through the Gilead House aimed to assist women with job readiness, organization and independent living skills.

$1,000 to the Howard County HistoricalSociety will provide partial support for the "Indiana Gas Boom Heritage Exhibits" project. Grant money will be used to purchase and install permanent exhibits placed throughout Howard County that will serve as touch points to promote the Web site indianagasboom.org.  The project promotes the heritage of Indiana's gas boom sites and communities as part of a regional collaboration.

$5,000 to Indiana University Kokomo will provide support for the "College Readiness in Math" pilot program. The goal of the program is to increase college readiness in math scores and impact the long-term goal of increased degree completion. Grant money will be used to purchase the license for math placement software installed at Kokomo High School. Senior students will take the test at the beginning of the school year and at the end allowing faculty members at IUK and Kokomo High School to better evaluate areas of student comprehension and deficiencies in the current curriculum. Additionally, IUK math faculty members will conduct faculty development workshops once in the fall and again in the spring for KHS math teachers that will help them develop new teaching strategies to help students succeed in preparing for college math.

$120,000 to Kokomo-Center School Corporation will be used toward pre-school education for Howard County children for the next three years. Pre-school education will be provided free to students of qualifying families. Eligible children from Howard County will be allowed to use this grant to attend the Community Preschool at Elwood Haynes Elementary School. During the three years of the donation,at least 140 children will receive a free preschool education experience.

$1,300 to Loving Hands Adult Daycare will be used to purchase computer equipment. In addition, grant money will be used to purchase software that will expand payroll processing capabilities, cut payroll processing times, aid in processing tax related payroll documents and improve the efficiency of the entire bookkeeping process.

$1,450 to Samaritan Caregivers will provide funding to purchase computer equipment and licensing. The new computer equipment will allow Samaritan Caregivers to continue to deliver productive and efficient services to all of their clients and volunteers.

$3,000 to the TechnoKats through Kokomo-Center School Corporation will be used to refurbish the lighted ball used at the New Year's Eve ball drop event in downtown Kokomo.

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to benefit the citizens of Howard County. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Hilda Burns at 765-454-7298 or hilda@cfhoward.org. The Web site www.cfhoward.org contains information about making gifts to endowment funds, scholarships and grantmaking.